Coote Hedley

Sir Walter Coote Hedley (12 December 1865 – 27 December 1937) was a British Army officer who began his career in the Royal Engineers and later moved into military intelligence. He was also a gifted amateur sportsman who played first-class cricket for several County Championship teams and competed to a high level in rackets and golf.

Hedley was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1884. He became a surveyor in the 1890s and was attached to the Ordnance Survey. This work was interrupted by service in South Africa throughout the Second Boer War, and from 1906 to 1908 by his appointment as an advisor to the Survey of India. In 1911 he was appointed to command MO4, also known as the Geographical Section of the General Staff. During the First World War this organisation was responsible for producing all the maps required by British Empire forces around the world, and in particular mapping the ever-changing trench system on the Western Front. Following the end of the war, he retired from the army in 1920. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and served on the society's council.

Hedley's first-class cricket career began in 1888 with the Gentlemen of England and Kent. The majority of his county matches were for Somerset whom he first represented in 1886 in non-first-class games. His first County Championship games for them were in 1892, and he had a regular place in the team from June of that year. Hedley was also a useful rackets player—reaching the final of the amateur championships, held at the Queen's Club, in 1890. In later life he turned to golf, playing off a scratch handicap.

Early life Hedley was born at Monkton Heathfield near Taunton in Somerset on 12 December 1865. His father, Robert, had served as a captain in the British Army and was a Poor Law Inspector at the time of Hedley's birth. His mother Catherine's maiden name was Coote which he adopted as his usual forename later in life. winning a Modern school scholarship in his first term and was a college prefect.

Military career On leaving school, Hedley entered the Royal Military Academy (RMA) at Woolwich in March 1883. serving initially at the School of Military Engineering at Chatham in Kent before being posted to Shorncliffe with 30 Field Company. He served in Gibraltar between 1890 and 1895 as adjutant of 6 Fortress Company taking charge of 20 Fortress Company. and a history of 20 Survey Company RE published by the Royal Engineers Museum lists him as captain and officer commanding from 1893. In October 1899 he briefly moved to 19 Survey Company. From 1895 he was attached to the Ordnance Survey.

Second Boer War The outbreak of the Second Boer War in 1899 took Hedley to South Africa with 17 Field Company. One of the biggest problems facing the British was the lack of suitable maps, so his surveying experience was in demand. He arrived in South Africa in November 1899, he was present at the Relief of Ladysmith, He had been hospitalised earlier in 1900, and was discharged to return to duty in the week ending 18 May 1900. He received a third mention in September 1901 for service up to April 1901. On 9 July 1901 he left Port Natal on the transport which was due to arrive at Southampton on 3 August. His obituary in The Times records that he served in the war until 1902, so he may have returned at a later date. substantive promotion to that rank came on 18 January 1902. He also received the Queen's South Africa Medal, with six clasps, for his service during the war. He returned to the United Kingdom, and the Ordnance Survey, in 1908, now concentrating on new colour printing techniques.

General Staff and First World War Hedley was appointed a General Staff Officer, Grade 1 at the War Office on 20 September 1911, and took command of the Geographical Section General Staff, known as MO4. The MO prefix stood for "Military Operations" and in 1916 would be changed to "Military Intelligence". Hedley succeeded Charles Close, who had been appointed Director General of the Ordnance Survey. The duties of the department were to provide to the British Army maps of all areas of the world—other than the United Kingdom, for which the Ordnance Survey was responsible, and India, which was the responsibility of the India Office, via the Survey of India. Its remit also extended to advising government departments on geographical matters, particularly relating to international boundaries.

In preparation for a possible war in Europe, Hedley directed that maps of France and Flanders be produced and stock-piled and that survey work should be carried out in strategically important locations such as Palestine and the Balkans. A mobile map printing section was also established prior to the break out of the First World War, with Hedley drawing on his experiences providing maps in South Africa where the ability to produce maps locally had proved vital. and remained the technical advisor and manager for MI4 at the War Office throughout the First World War, being influential in encouraging the development of sound ranging to survey enemy artillery positions. Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1917 Birthday Honours, and Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in October 1919. He also received the Legion d'Honneur, Ordre de Léopold, and Officier of the Ordre de la Couronne as a result of his war service and retired in December 1920, having reached the upper age limit for service. before making his first-class cricket debut for the Gentlemen of England against Cambridge University in 1888. After playing a second match for the Gentlemen against Oxford University, Hedley made his first-class county debut later in the same season for Kent against Gloucestershire at Blackheath, with him representing Kent in two further matches during 1888. Hedley's action was assessed by an independent observer in his next county match, and as a result, he did not play again for Kent.

He played for I Zingari against the Gentlemen of England three years running from 1888 as part of the Scarborough Festival and for Marylebone Cricket Club,

In 1902, Hedley played for Devon in three Minor Counties Championship matches and was awarded a Devon county cap. Kathleen, and Christian Elizabeth Ann who married Cecil De Sauzmerez, of Sausmarez Manor in Guernsey.

Later life After retiring in 1920, Hedley was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He served on the society's council. an opinion he reiterated in another letter to that paper in 1928. He died in December 1937 at his home in Sunningdale in Berkshire, aged 72.